Hayward sees inspiration, competition in Manu

One of the reasons why Utah guard-forward Gordon Hayward wears No. 20 is because of Manu Ginobili.

“He’s one of those guys I looked up to when I was growing up,” said Hayward, who at 22 is 13 years younger than Ginobili. “He’s one of the reasons I picked number 20. I tried emulate some of the stuff that he did and put it into my game because he’s a great player. But tonight, you just try to compete and go after him.”

Hayward said that Ginobili still is a difficult assignment to guard because of his athleticism and versatility.

“Yeah, he’s different,” Hayward said. “He’s got a lot of different steps and he does a great job of getting into you before he makes his move. He’s a tough guard.”

Hayward was responsible for much of Utah’s Game 1 success against Ginobili, who was limited to seven points on 3-for-10 shooting and committed three turnovers in San Antonio’s 106-91 victory.